Nawaz Sharif
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A career in politics
A chequered career
From The Times of India
From The Times of India
Inclined to better ties with India
Rajeev Deshpande|Pak SC Says PM Not Sharif, Delhi On Guard|Jul 29 2017 : The Times of India (Delhi)
Nawaz Tried Peace But Army, Kashmir Issue Proved A Hurdle
A wily and deft politician, Mian Nawaz Sharif is not immune to playing the Kashmir card as he did after the death of Hizbul Mujahideen leader Burhan Wani.But he did show an inclination to better ties with India.
The impulse, even if haltingly pursued, marked the efforts of the civilian government to push normalisation in ties, which Sharif 's aides feel the leader had come around to believe a necessity in the interests of Pakistan and, more particularly, his province of Punjab as it could benefit from border trade.
These possibilities will remain untested as the judiciary and Pakistan's powerful military came together to unseat the civilian government and humiliate Sharif, who is closest to being a pan Pakistan leader.
As with most politicians who make it to the top in Pakistan, Sharif has not been averse to strike deals with the army and his initial ascent was seen as blessed by a Punjabi-dominated army . But as he grew in stature as PM, he sought greater control over the levers of power; possibly a grave error of judgment.
Despite the military's veto on relations with India, Sharif 's bid to engage India, including hosting PM Narendra Modi for a politically risky lunch in Lahore in 2015, was a hopeful enterprise until jihadis despatched by the Pakistan army to carry out attacks in India put paid to the peace moves.
His dethronement is likely to strongly discourage any successor to essay serious talks with India and gestures are unlikely to go much beyond exchange of fishermen and the occasional civilian who strays across the border.
Though the Pakistan army is seen to have brought Sharif down, it is not expect ed to take up the reins of government directly as the country's problems, not the least its economic management, are extremely chal lenging and the generals may be happy with a political buffer who understands his place in the pecking order.
In the past, the premise that a military dictator can better deliver the goods in terms of ties with India has not always held true.
Former president Pervez Musharraf has claimed that he was close to an understanding with former PM Manmohan Singh before, ironically enough, the Supreme Court turfed him out.
The theory will remain untested as the essential DNA of the Pakistan army has shown no signs of change and the institution -despite lack of military success against India and the baleful effect it has on democracy in Pakistan -is wedded to a hostile policy against its eastern neighbour.
In the immediate scenario, India-Pakistan relations are not expected to move beyond the routine and in fact could be rocky given the Pakistan army's efforts to stoke terrorism and separatism in Kashmir.
Family in politics
HIGHLIGHTS
Sharif may also have "shattered the dreams" of Shahbaz's son Hamza Sharif, his party members said
Hamza was looking to be given Punjab by his dad who was to take over as prime minister.
"Nawaz played excellent family politics," said one party member
NEW DELHI: Did disqualified former prime minister of Pakistan Nawaz Sharif+ prevent his younger brother Shahbaz Sharif from taking over+ the top government spot? That's what several key leaders in Sharif's PML-N party believe, reported Pakistani newspaper Dawn. Not only did the elder Sharif keep Shahbaz at bay, he may also have "shattered the dreams" of Shahbaz's son Hamza Sharif, who was looking to be given Punjab by his dad who everyone thought would take over as prime minister. Shahbaz is Punjab chief minister and the PML-N has a strong base in the province.
Sharif had said after his disqualification by the country's supreme court in the Panama Papers case that Shahbaz would be prime minister after an interim arrangement of 45 days. Now, though, a campaign has been set in motion that is spinning Shahbaz as being much needed in Punjab. PML-N leaders said all that's left is a formal announcement that Shahbaz won't be taking over as prime minister+ .
"Perhaps Shahbaz missed the golden chance of becoming premier... He has either failed to convince his elder brother or the latter played smart politics to keep him in Punjab," a PML-N leader who is close to Shahbaz told Dawn.
Another PML-N leader said that Sharif played some "excellent family politics" to keep Shahbaz away from the prime minister's post, after he himself was disqualified by the country's supreme court on corruption charges. "Nawaz played excellent family politics. First he announced Shahbaz his successor. Later a campaign within the PML-N was built that Shahbaz's absence from Punjab would be disastrous for the party," this leader told Dawn.
However, Malik Ahmad Khan, the spokesman of Punjab's PML-N government, denied there were any differences between the Sharif brothers saying the disqualification crisis had united them even more.
He did add though that the parliamentary party headed by the elder Sharif was authorised to announce it had gone back on its earlier decision to nominate Shahbaz for prime minister.
The Panama scandal
The Times of India
2017: Gets SC relief in Panama graft case
Omer Farooq Khan, Sharif gets SC relief in Panama graft case, April 21, 2017: The Times of India
Not enough Proof To Remove Him, Says Top Court, But Orders Joint Team To Probe Allegations
Embattled Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif got a temporary breather from the Supreme Court on Thursday that said there was “insufficient evidence“ to remove him from office but ordered setting up of a Joint Investigation Team to probe graft allegations against his family based on the Panama Papers.
The judgment also ordered Sharif and his sons, Hassan and Hussain, to appear before the JIT. The decision was celebrated by the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN), as it removed, for the time being, the fear of PM's removal from office. The main opposition parties, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party , however, called Sharif to resign, claiming that he was left with no moral authority to stay as PM until the completion of investigation. The decision of the fivejudge bench had two dissenting notes in t he 540-page verdict. Justice Asif Saeed Khosa and Justice Gulzar Ahmed ruled Sharif should be disqualified, whereas the other three, Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan, Justice Azmat Saeed and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, decided to form a JIT. The bench said the JIT, which will be constituted within seven days, had to complete the investigation in two months and would have to submit its report bi-weekly to a special bench of the SC to be constituted by the Chief Justice. The JIT, the verdict said, would include representatives from Inter-Services Intelligence, Military Intelligence, Fede ral Investigation Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan and National Accountability Bureau (NAB).
The case stems from documents leaked from the Panama-based Mossack Fonseca law firm, showing that Sharif 's daughter, Maryum Nawaz, and his two sons owned offshore companies registered in the British Virgin Islands and used them to buy properties in London. At least eight offshore companies were found to have links to the Sharif family .
Owning offshore companies is not illegal in Pakistan, but Sharif's opponents allege that he had bought properties in London by laundering money during his previous two terms as PM in 1990s. Sharif had argued he was not the owner and the money was in his children's names and he was therefore not obliged to declare the assets on tax and other disclosure documents. Moreover, he claimed it was raised through legitimate business deals, mostly based in Gulf nations.
PTI chief Imran Khan termed the decision “historic“ and asked Sharif to resign until the completion of the investigation. “The decision to probe corruption of Nawaz Sharif and his children means that whatever explanation he had given in the SC regarding the source of income and the money trail has been rejected,“ said Khan. Former president and Pakistan People's Party leader Asif Ali Zardari expressed doubts that junior officers working under Sharif cannot deliver justice as part of JIT when the highest court failed to deliver justice.
PM's aide to be sacked for leak
Tariq Fatemi, Pakistan PM's special assistant on foreign affairs, may be sacked after an inquiry found him guilty of “leaking“ to a newspaper vital data from a national security meet. In October, a columnist for Dawn wrote a story about a rift between civilian and military leaderships over militant groups that operate from Pakistan but engage in proxy war against India.
Gwadar leased to China co for 40 yrs
Pakistan's shipping minister Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo said on Thursday that state-run China Overseas Port Holding Company would handle operations of the Gwadar port for a period of 40 years. The COPHC has 91% share of revenue collection from gross revenue of terminal and marine operations and 85% share from gross revenue of free zone operation, he said.
